dinosaurs

Another couple of interesting articles to share. Using some "mechanics" principles, researchers have reasoned that 100,000 years ago, kangaroos were too heavy to hop.

A while ago, a different group of researchers published the results of computer modelling (using genetic algorithms) that showed dinosaurs might have hopped and skipped as forms of locomotion! (But only if particularly happy?)

These articles might be good to share with undergraduate engineers for discussion in tutorials. There are issues to discuss with assumptions in both cases. 

Using Computational Biology to Bring Predatory Dinosaurs Back to Life



The proposed programme of research seeks to use state-of-the-art computational techniques to reverse engineer the walking cycle of a predatory dinosaur. Software for image-based modelling, parallel finite element analysis and evolutionary robotics will be coupled and deployed